Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-13
having sent her lover away, when she stopped

at is Gods will, uncle" she said, quietly.
sYou only did what it was ordained that you
should do" And then she came and laid her
sunny head upon the old mans shoulder and
cried a little, and said that they two were all
alone in tho world now; and he comforted
her in the best fashion he could. 1t was a
curious thing that they neither of them
thought much Of jess when they talked thus
about being alone. jess was an enigma, a
thing apart even from them. When
she was there she was loved and al
lowed to 20 her own way; when she was
not there she seemed to fade into
outer darkness. A wall came down between
her and her belongings OF course they were
both very fond of her, but simple natured
people are apt to shrink involuntarily from
what they cannot understand, and these two
were no exception. For instance, Bessie's
affection for her sister was poor thing COM
pared to the deep and self sacrificing, though
often secret, love that her sister showered
upon her. She loved her old uncle far more
dearly than she did Jess, and it must be
owned that he returned the compliment with
interest, and in those days of heavy trouble
they drew nearer to each other even than be-
fore. -.
4, But as time went on they both began to
hope again No further news OF Johns death
reached them. Was it not possible, after all,
that the whole story was an invention? They
knew that Frank Muller was not man to
hesitate at lie if he had purpose to gain,
and they could guess in this case what the
purpose was. His furious passion for Bessie
was no secret to either Of them, and it
struck them as at least possible that the tale
Of Johns death might have been invented to
forward it. 1t was not probable, more es-
pecially as he was not present to urge his suit,
but it was possible, and however cruel sus-
pense may be, it is at least less absolutely
crushing than the dead weight of certainty.
On Sunday-it was just a week after the
letter came-Bessie was sitting after dinner
on the veranda, when her quick ears caught
what she took to be the booming Of heavy
guns far away on the Drakensberg She
rose, and, leaving the house, climbed the hill
behind it. On reaching the top she stood
and looked at the great solemn stretch Of
mountains. Away, a little to her right, was
a square, precipitous peak called Majuba,
which was generally clothed in clouds. 10
day, however, there was no mist, and it
seemed to her that it was from the direction
OF this peak that the faint rolling sounds
came floating OH the breeze. But she could
see nothing; the mountain seemed as tenant
less and devoid OF life as the day when it first
lowered up upon the face Of things created.
Presently the sound died away, and she re-
turned, thinking that she must have been de-
ceived by the echoes Of some distant thunder
storm.
Next day they learned from the natives
that what she had heard was the sound Of the
big guns covering the flight Of the British
troops down the precipitous sides Of Majuba
mountain. After this old Silas Croft began
to lose heart little. The run Of disaster
was so unrelieved that even his robust faith
in the invincibility of the English arms was
shaken.
at is very strange, Bessie" he said, "very
strange; but never mind, it is bound to come
right at last. Our government is not going
to knock under because they have suffered
few reverses."
Then came long four weeks of uncer-
tainty. The air was thick with rumors, most
Of them brought by natives, one or two by
passing Beers, to which, however, Silas Croft
declined to pay any attention Soon it be-
came abundantly clear, however, that an
armistice was concluded between the English
and the Beers, but what We're its terms or its
object they were quite unable to decide. Silas
Croft thought that the Beers, overawed by
the advance Of an overwhelming force, meant
to give in without further fighting; but Bessie
shook her head ...-.-...-r- ,>s-a
One day-it was the same on which John
and Jess had left Pretoria-a Katfir brought
news that the armistico was at an end, that
the English were advancing up to the Mex in
thousands and were going to force it Oil the
morrow and relieve the garrisons-a piece Of
intelligence that brought some Of the old
light back to Bessies eyes. AS for her uncle,
he was jubilant.
"The tide is going to turn at last, my love" ="
he said, "and we shall have our innings. Well,
it is time we should, after all the shame and
loss and agony of mind we have gone
through. Upon my word, for the last two
months have been ashamed to call myself
an Englishman. However, there is an end Of
it now. knew that they would never give
in and desert u.s." and the old man straight
ened his crooked back and slapped his chest
and looked as proud and gallant as though he
were IS instead Of 10.
The rest of that day passed without any
further news and so did the following two,
but on the next, which was March %, the
storm broke.
About II o'clock in the forenoon Bessie was
employed upon her household duties as usual,
or rather she had just finished them. Her
uncle had returned from making his after
breakfast round upon the farm and was
standing in the sitting room, his broad felt
hat in one hand and red pocket handker-
chief in the other, with which he was polish
ing his bald head, while he chatted to Bessie
through the open door.
"No news Of the advance, Bessie dear!"
"No, uncle" she replied, with q sigh, and
her blue eyes filling with tears, for she was
thinking of one Of whom there was also no
news.
"Well, never mind. These things take a
little time. especially with our soldiers, who
move so slowly. 1 dare say that there was
some delay waiting for guns or ammunition
or something. expect that we shall hear
something by to-night"-
He got as far as this, when suddenly the fig
ure of Jantje appeared, flying up the passage
in the extremity Of terror and haste.
"De Booren, baas, de Booren!" (The Beers,
master, the Boers) he shouted. "The Beers
are coming with wagon, twenty Of them or
more, with Frank Muller at their head on
his black horse, and Hans Coetzee. and the
wizard with one eye with him. was hiding
behind tree at the end of the avenue, and
saw them coming over the rise. They are
going to take the place" and, without weiting
to give any further explanations, lie slipped
through the house and hid himself up some
where at the back out of the way, for Jantje,
like most Hottentots, was sad coward.
The old man stopped rubbing his head and
stared at Bessie, who was standing pale and
trembling in the doorway. Just then lie
heard the patter of running feet on tho drive
outside, and looked out of the window. 1t
was caused by the passing of some half dozen
Kafllrs who were working on the place, and
who, on catching sight of the Beers, had
promptly thrown down their tools and were
flying to the hills. Even as they passed q
shot was fired somewhere from tho direction
of the avenue, and the last of the kaffirs. a
lad Of about twelve, suddenly threw up his
hands and pitched forward OH his face, with
bullet between his shoulderblades.
Bessie heard the shout of "Good shot, good
shot!" and the brutal laughter that greeted
bis fall and the tramping of the horses a'
they came up the drive.
"Oh, uncle!" she said, what shall we dog
The old man made 10 answer ut the mo-
ment, but going to rack upon the wall,
reached down a Westley- Richards falling